Golf

A major moving day

Davis Love and Phil Mickelson battle high expectations atop the ever-shifting leaderboard as dozens jockey for position.

By BOB HARIG
Published August 14, 2005

SPRINGFIELD, N.J. - They are two of the game's most popular players, two of its biggest stars. For more than a decade, going back to the days before Tiger Woods turned pro, they have arrived at tournaments with loads of expectations and hauled away loads of cash.

But for all their titles, all their appearances in the Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup, all their riches, it is safe to say Phil Mickelson and Davis Love have come up short when it comes to championship hardware.

A victory by either today at the 87th PGA Championship will not a career make, but it sure would give it a different look.

For either it would be the second major championship of a career expected to include several.

They entered the final round on the Lower Course at Baltusrol Golf Club tied for the lead.

Mickelson, whose lone major came at the 2004 Masters, could do no better than 2-over 72, with just one birdie, on the day that Thomas Bjorn tied a major-championship record with 63. That let a slew of players back into the tournament - including Woods - and set up a final day that has 21 players within six shots of the lead.

"It was a fight for me to stay in the lead given the way it started," said Mickelson, 35, who began the round with a three-shot advantage but bogeyed three of the first six holes. "I thought that that was a success. And being in the last group gives you the opportunity to see how the course is playing and gives you an idea of what score might do it."

Love, 41, whose major title came at the 1997 PGA Championship at Winged Food, shot his third consecutive 68 to tie Mickelson at 204, 6 under.

"I'm playing with a lot of confidence," said Love, who has not won since the 2003 International, his 18th victory. "It's a fine line between playing well and not playing well, and I just needed to cross that line a little bit."

The trouble for both Mickelson and Love is that they did not separate themselves from the field Saturday, when temperatures reached 100 degrees with a heat index reported at 105.

Bjorn, 34, the Dane who blew the 2003 British Open when he left two balls in a bunker at the 16th hole during the final round, matched the lowest score in major history to move within a stroke of the leaders.

Despite making just one birdie, defending champion Vijay Singh, who shot 69, was only two back, tied with 1995 PGA champion Steve Elkington (68), Stuart Appleby (69) and Pat Perez (67). Retief Goosen, Ben Curtis and Lee Westwood were among those three back.

And not even Woods was out of it. After making Friday's cut on the number, Woods shot 66 in the morning, a score that could have been better if he had made birdies at the 17th and 18th holes, the two easiest at Baltusrol. He was tied for 20th, six strokes back.

Of course, neither Mickelson nor Love birdied the 18th, the only players in the top 10 not to do so.

And that sort of sums up their careers.

Great players, lots of wins, but underachievers to some extent.

Mickelson has 26 PGA Tour titles, including three this year. But he was long chided for not winning a major until his dramatic victory at Augusta last year. He had close calls at the remaining majors last year but was unable to add a second.

And for all of his success, this is rare territory for Mickelson. The only other time he led going into the final round of a major was last year at the Masters. He has four runnerup finishes and 12 top fives.

"I don't look at it as the biggest day of my career," Mickelson said. "It certainly is a big event, and I feel that I'm prepared to play well in the final round."

Love also has failed to produce at the level expected. Consider that Singh has 14 victories on the PGA Tour since Love last won. Or that Love's career includes just six top fives in major championships.

"If I could explain golf, I'd be a genius," Love said. "You obviously arrogantly think if you win one that the rest of them are easy. The second one is just as hard. That's why when you see a guy who has three or four or five of them, he's looked upon a little bit differently than the rest of the players.

"One major puts you in the club, but it's just in the club. Four or five of them puts you in superstar status."

[Last modified August 14, 2005, 00:55:04]